By The Citizen
Tanzania’s National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai resigned on Thursday, just three days after apologising to President Samia Suluhu over his remarks on the country’s borrowing.
In a statement to media houses, Ndugai said he had written to his party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), over his “personal decision” to resign as Parliament speaker.
He also said that a copy had been submitted to the National Assembly Clerk for the procedures of getting another speaker according the constitution.
“ I take this opportunity to give my sincerely gratitude to my fellow members of parliament, President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the whole government in general, Kongwa residents and all Tanzanians for the support you gave me for the time I was the Speaker of The National Assembly,” reads the part of the letter.
Ndugai who assumed the position on November 17, 2015 is the first the Speaker to resign while in office in the Tanzania’s history.
On Monday, Ndugai issued a public apology to President Suluhu following claims he made earlier last week that Tanzania risks being auctioned due to rising national debt.
However, the apology was not accepted by the president.
Speaking on Tuesday, President Suluhu, who doubles as the ruling CCM’s chairperson, while addressing her cabinet ministers, regional commissioners as well as regional chairpersons of the ruling CCM said what was happening had everything to do with the next elections.
“That is what is going on. It is inconceivable that the head of one of the pillars of the State can stand up and say what he said. It all has everything to do with 2025,” she said.
